Images can be generated in several ways. For example, an image can be captured using a film or digital camera and/or created and edited using image processing software such as ADOBE PHOTOSHOP® or the GNU IMAGE MANIPULATION PROGRAM (“GIMP”). Images captured using a film camera typically are stored as film negatives. Images captured using a digital camera typically are stored as digital files residing in the memory of a digital camera and/or a storage medium to which the file has been transferred (for example, a hard drive or CD ROM). Images created using image processing software are typically stored as a digital file residing on a computer readable medium such as a hard drive.
An image-based product can be generated from such stored images. As used here, the term “image-based product” refers to an item, regardless of medium, that includes a visual representation of at least a portion of one or more images. One example of an image-based product is an image print (also commonly referred to as a “photograph”). For example, a user can take a picture using a conventional film camera and then bring the exposed film to a photo-finishing laboratory to have the laboratory develop the exposed film and generate an image print.
The image-based product is often a physical manifestation of the digital content. The physical manifestation of the digital content may include photographic prints of the one or more digital images, framed photographic prints, photo-album pages bearing one or more digital images, compositions of digital images and other graphical and/or textual content, and/or artifacts bearing a digital image such as a novelty item, a shirt, a coffee mug, a key-chain, a mouse pad, a magnet, or a deck of playing cards.
When a customer wishes to have a high-quality image print generated from a digital image, the customer need not physically take the digital image to a photo-finishing laboratory and instead can electronically transmit the digital image to an “online” photo-finishing laboratory using a computer network such as the Internet. For example, the customer can use an Internet browser program (referred to herein as a “browser”) such as NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR®. The customer can direct the browser to a web site associated with the online photo-finishing laboratory and upload the digital image to a server hosting the web site. The online photo-finishing laboratory can then take the digital image from the web server and produce a high-quality image print from the digital image in a conventional manner. The online photo-finishing laboratory then typically sends the high-quality image print to the customer using a delivery service such as the UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE or FEDERAL EXPRESS®.
Different customers may have different preferences (referred to hereafter as “image preferences”) in the color or tone of the printed images. These preferences may vary from individual to individual, among groups based on age, region, culture, professional training, and other factors. For example, some customers may prefer their printed images to look warmer or cooler. “Warm”, as used herein, describes an image with colors slightly shifted to red or yellow. Similarly, “cool” or “cold” as used herein, refer to an image with colors slightly shifted to blue or cyan.
In another example, one customer may prefer more saturated colors while another customer may prefer softer colors. An individual's preferences also may vary according to the types of scenes in the printed images. For instance, some customers may prefer saturated colors for use with landscape images. Customers may want wedding pictures to be printed with softer and warmer colors to produce a romantic atmosphere.
Consumers in different regions of the world may have different “regional” color preferences. For example, consumers in Asian countries on the average may prefer more saturated colors, whereas consumers in Northern America may prefer warm colors.
Despite the need for image preferences as described above, conventional photofinishing technologies have not fulfilled these needs. Conventional mass-produced photographic film and paper are designed to produce tone and color properties that are generally pleasing to the majority of customers. This design inevitably causes trade-offs among different customers for each photographic film or paper product. As described above, one product cannot satisfy all customers.
In professional photography, the photographer can choose specific film and paper types that are optimized toward each subject matter (e.g. portrait). Such an approach is beyond the skill and the financial means of a typical consumer.
A customer can use commercial image processing software such as PhotoShop by Adobe Systems, Inc. of San Jose, Calif., to make adjustments to image preferences prior to printing. However, the adjustment process can be complex and time consuming and may require technical knowledge of, for example, image sciences, that is outside the skill set of a typical customer. Often a customer is required to produce several trial prints before a printed image with reasonable quality is obtained. Furthermore, trial and error techniques can be expensive or impractical when the images are printed at a remote location.